How do you put into words the enormity of our loss when you left us?
Smokey was a very special beagle. Our time with him began in May of 2004 after Beagle Paws had nursed him back to health following atrocious abuse. When he was picked up he was 15 pounds and was so lacking in muscle and fat that every rib was showing through his skin, but Smokey was a fighter. He knew that there was something amazing in store for him, so despite the odds Smokey lived the next 31/2 years of his life with no signs that he had been so badly treated in his first years.

Smokey loved people. It never mattered who came in the yard or to the door, all he ever wanted was a really good smell. He was gentle with babies, and always knew who he could convince to help him tear apart his stuffies with a good strong game of tug of war! Smokey’s sniffer was fantastic! He followed the trail so well that he would walk right over the cat or bird or rabbit that he was after in order to keep on the trail! Always good for a laugh! Oh, and how he loved to track the snakes and crickets in the yard, as his eyebrows would go up in the thrill of the hunt, his tail at attention and his posture so strong.

Remember the time that you escaped the yard and then howled in the front yard of the neighbours behind us because you needed them to come out and phone mom and dad for your ride home? (laughs) You were so trusting that you believed the best of all people. We wish you had not found that broken piece of fence that day that you died, but we believe that you just kept following the trail as your soul left the earth and continued on to Rainbow Bridge. Keep on running, baby, play with your new friends and know that you will never be forgotten.

Smokey’s presence, his eyes, his ears, his warm cozy smell are all very missed, and will never be forgotten by the four members of his family that he left behind.

Everyone at Beagle Paws were very sad to say good bye to one or our special senior dogs “Lucky”. We knew Lucky didn’t have a lot of time with us when we took him into our care but sadly it was even shorter than expected.

But we are all happy that we were able to give this loving boy a few months of comfort before he passed over the rainbow bridge.

The first time we met Charlie it was instant love. We had been asked by beagle paws to pick up him up at the Human Society in February of 2004, brought in from Conception Bay. He was a pathetic little creature; with a tail docked so short it truly wasn’t visible. He looked frightened out of his wits, he didn’t want in the car, he didn’t want to stay where he was. On the way home we named him Charlie Brown, because of his lovely chestnut brown fur. At home with us, when let out of his kennel, he would stand in the middle of our living room, not moving for hours, unsure of what to do with his freedom. We gradually coaxed him onto the sofa where he cuddled into a ball. His whole body would stiffen up, scared, when you tried to cuddle him. Two weeks later we brought him to a potential adoption home, and they adopted him on the spot. At home without him, we knew we had made a huge mistake in letting him go. He was the quietest, least house-trained, most unassuming foster dog we had had yet, and yet there was this feeling that he was intended for our family. That summer we attended the Beagle Reunion, desperate that his new family would bring him so we could see him, but he was not there.

That November, I was in our new home in Halifax and I saw on the Beagle Paws website that Charlie was once again up for adoption. My heart was breaking that he had to go through the ordeal again, but we quickly jumped into action and asked that we be able to adopt him. From the moment he arrived in Halifax to his passing, he was continuously changing. At the beginning he would flinch at any noise, movement, change in light. He just barely trusted us. As he grew with us he became a buoyant, joyful, happy-go-lucky, confident DIVA, who loved his luxuries and who would howl with delight for everything and everyone. And the non-existent tail? He could vibrate his nub with such enthusiasm that it was clearly on display for all how happy he was! The dog who was afraid of everybody had become the dog who would approach people in the park, eager to greet. He stole the heart of everyone he met.
His big sister Bruno helped us keep care of him, cleaning his ears and eyes several times a day. He would trail around after his other sister Rory on sniffing adventures. Charlie had two speeds when he was running around: full tilt and stop. We lost Charlie while he was being cared for by a friend who had grown to love him as deeply as we did. He broke free of his leash and ran off into the woods at the same full tilt speed that he approached everything in his life, off on some wild scent chase. To all our great sorrow and desperation he was hit by a car while off doing what he loved best, running! Our family will never be the same without him. He was a constant joy, with hundreds of quirks (with new ones appearing each and every day). He never knew the word “No” because we could deny him nothing.

Dominic made his way into our hearts from the first day we met him. His timid and frightened nature made him that much easier to love. We all knew with time he could over come his fears and learn that all people are not bad. Sadly, we never got to see Dominic live to his full potential. He became very ill with a bacterial infection and we were unable to save him. It was a very sad day for our organization when we had to say good bye to Dominic. We do have peace now knowing that he is no longer suffering.

Tina crossed the rainbow bridge much sooner than any of us would have liked. This tiny little girl was always happy even to her last days. Tina’s big heart gave out on her this month and we are all very sad to see her go. But we know that she is now at rest and was very loved while in the care of Beagle Paws.

Dodger made a brief acquaintance with Beagle Paws. Even though his days were numbered with us he certainly made a big impact on everyone who met him. All our volunteers gave him more love and cuddles than he ever knew before coming to Beagle Paws.

Dodger became very ill and fought for his life right to the last day. We hold comfort knowing that Dodger is no longer suffering and now has found peace.

Our hearts are broken and we feel a colossal void in our daily lives without Brooklyn whom we loved immeasurably. We feel so blessed to have had her in our lives for a much too short 11.5 years and thank her so much for sharing her life with us. We hope that she feels that she enjoyed her life with us too. We will miss her so very much – her gentle nature, her ultra unique personality, her many, many antics, her long silky ears, her warmth when we cuddled, her fantastic floor cleaning, and the site of her basking in the sun. We are comforted with the knowledge that she is in Heaven where she gets to eat anything she wants and where there are never cloudy days, only sunny days for her to bask in while she waits for us to cross the Rainbow Bridge. She will hold a special place in our hearts as we love and remember her through laughter and through tears always.

We just recently lost our beautiful Moca at the approximate age of 14, he was our first love & first introduction to living with a Beagle. We found Moca many years ago while out on an evening walk, he was head down & on a scent.

We took Moca home that night, hoping to find the owner in the morning, which we did but sadly for them they could no longer care for Moca, & our lives changed forever!

Moca, always knew what he wanted & when he wanted it! We miss him so very much! His brother Bootsie misses him dearly, as well as our other babes, Tootsie,Kelly & Shatzie, yes, as you may have guessed we have a houseful, but Bootsie being the only Beagle, all of our babes have been rescued.

Rockie was our first beagle, and we loved her dearly. She always had a special presence in our lives and we will always miss you. We fondly remember the time we had together. With love and an affectionate ‘neck neck’ from all of us.